Let’s skip the fluff. Because while everyone on LinkedIn is talking about how AI unlocks your potential, many professionals in corporate America, in startups, in the creator economy, are asking a different question:
Am I using AI to grow, or just to keep up?
We’re in a strange moment. AI is everywhere. And yet, most people don’t feel empowered by it, they feel exposed by it. The tension is real. And it goes deeper than algorithms or productivity hacks. This isn’t just about what AI can do. It’s about how it’s quietly reshaping our sense of identity at work.
Whether you’re a team leader trying to integrate AI into internal processes, a founder using avatars to stay visible while scaling, or a solo creator trying to keep up with the pace of content, the emotional weight is the same. You might be wondering:
What does my use of AI say about me? Am I getting ahead, or just trying not to fall behind?
AI has amplified our capacity to create. But it’s also amplified our inner conflict. The performance pressure. The burnout. The fear that we’ll disappear if we stop posting, or sound “less human” if we let AI help.
And this is where we need to be honest with ourselves:
AI is not just a tool. It’s a psychological trigger.
It magnifies whatever is already present, your clarity or your confusion, your confidence or your imposter syndrome.
If you’re grounded in purpose, AI will help you scale it. If you’re driven by survival, it’ll help you hide.
We see it every day at Lavatr.ai, some people use AI to reclaim energy and speak with more consistency. Others use it to polish, perform, and disconnect from the very voice they’re trying to share.
The key isn’t what you’re using AI for. It’s how you’re using it. And that “how” changes everything.
In large organizations, AI might mean more efficient cross-team communication and decision-making. For startup teams, it’s part of every pitch, launch, and landing page. For creators, it’s a lifeline to stay visible without burning out. But regardless of where you sit, AI is either expanding your authenticity, or exhausting it.
At Collision 2025, HeyGen (@heygen_official) CEO Joshua Xu said something that captured this perfectly:
“AI avatars aren’t here to replace authenticity. They’re here to protect it, by letting you scale your voice without compromising your identity.” — Joshua Xu, HeyGen (June 2025)
That line stuck with us. Because it points to something deeper than productivity. It points to purpose.
We’re not just managing a shift in tools. We’re managing a shift in identity.
And that’s where our favorite question comes in, one we borrowed from a former company’s core values that never left us: “Enable others to succeed.”
Now that we lead our own startup, this question is more relevant than ever. Every tool we build, every avatar we launch, every script we help produce, we ask:
Is this enabling someone else to succeed? If it’s not creating impact today, is it at least planting something that might grow tomorrow?
We believe AI isn’t about performance. It’s about presence. Not presence as in visibility, but presence as in "I know who I am and I know who this is for."
The truth is, AI won’t slow down. It won’t get simpler. But we can. We can use it to remove the noise between us and our message. To protect energy. To clarify direction. To stop chasing and start choosing.
So here’s the invitation, not a call to action, but a call to reflection: Don’t just ask whether AI makes you more efficient. Ask whether it helps you be more you. Ask whether it’s helping someone else grow. Ask whether it matters.
Because the future doesn’t need more content. It needs more conscious creators. And AI, when used with clarity, intention, and courage, can help you become one of them.
